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THE 

BOOK 

PLATES 

OF 

EDMUND 

H. 

GARRETT 

^  ■- 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/bookplatesselectOOgarrrich 


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^''Book-plates  have  been  steadily  multiply in^\  a ^d  .their  jui^  ;'•, 
'    becoming  more  and  more  general^  until  to-day  not  to  own  a  book- 
plate with  which  to  mark  your  books  is  to  argue  yourself  quite 
out  of  the  trend  of  culture  and  education.*^ 

Zella  J  lien  Dixson,   ^-'^  Concerning  Book-plates,^^ 

MR.  GARRETT  is  the  author  of  about  fifty 
book-plates,  the  examples  here  shown  be- 
ing among  the  best  and  most  charadteristic. 
His  experience  as  designer,  illustrator,  engraver 
and  painter,  combined  with  his  native  endowment 
of  taste,  inventiveness  and  fancy,  admirably  equips 
him  for  this  kind  of  artistic  work.  The  designing 
of  a  book-plate  calls  for  a  high  order  of  decorative 
talent.  There  is  room  for  a  great  deal  of  the 
personal  element,  of  course,  but  restraint  and  so- 
briety, with  a  clear  comprehension  of  the  limita- 


15144771 


tions  of  conventional  decoration  on  a  small  scale, 
are  imperatively  required  for  success  in  this  field. 
The  fundamental  principles  that  govern  all  deco- 
ration apply  with  even  more  than  ordinary  force 
here,  because  the  infringement  of  them  must  be 
especially  noticeable  in  a  small  design.       Unity, 
compactness,  and  a  fair  balance  of  the  black  and 
vi^hite  spaces  are  undoubtably  the  first  require- 
ments.    To: meet  these  requirements  fully,  the 
designer  ought  not  to  be  encumbered  with  too 
much  symbolic  liiaterial,  but  should  be  permitted 
to  give  a  reasonable  degree  of  free  play  to  his  own 
ideas.     Every  owner  of  a  good  library  is  likely  to 
be  fortunate  in  the  possession  of  a  hobby,  and  when 
the  desire  to  have  a  book-plate  arises,  it  is  natural 
and  fitting  to  ask  the  designer  to  perpetuate  that 
hobby  by  some  appropriate  bit  of  symbolism. 
But  when  it  comes  to  more  than  one  hobby,  when 
Pelion  is  piled  on  Ossa,  the  oversupply  of  raw 
material  becomes  merely  an  embarrassment  to  the 
artist,  and  threatens  the  integrity  of  his  design. 
An  ingenious  designer  is  usually  able,  it  is  true, 
to  work  a  certain  number  of  not  too  salient  alle- 
gories into  the  corners,  borders,  and  nooks  of  his 
design,  without  laying  too  much  stress  upon  them; 


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but  the  whole  drawing  must,  if  it  is  to  be  first-rate, 
be  built  up  around  a  single,  unified,  central  mo- 
tive, to  which  all  the  rest  of  the  work  must  be 
subordinate.  Above  all,  the  first-rate  book-plate 
must,  with  few  exceptions,  be  conceived  upon 
conventional  lines;  and  it  is  obvious  that  heraldry 
lends  itself  most  readily  and  naturally  to  this  class 
of  design. 

Among  the  best  of  Mr.Garrett*s  book-plates  in 
which  armorial  bearings  are  employed  as  the 
chief  features  of  the  designs  are  those  of  Dr.  John 
W.  Farlow,  Arthur  Curtis  Judd,  J.  Otis  Ward- 
well,  William  Phillips,  Dr.  William  M.  Conant, 
and  George  M.  Thornton.  These  are  the  best 
American  book-plates  with  which  I  am  acquaint- 
ed, by  virtue  of  the  excellence  of  their  design,  the 
perfect  adaptation  to  their  purpose,  and  the  dis- 
tinct beauty  of  their  execution  in  all  its  parts. 
They  are  etched  plates,  in  which  the  intrinsic 
quality  of  the  line  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
elements  of  merit.  It  is  not  easy  to  explain  the 
superiority  of  the  etched  line  over  the  graver-cut 
line,  but  it  is  very  easy  to  see  it,  when  opportuni- 
ties for  comparison  arise.  The  bitten  line  has 
infinitely  more  character,  flexibility  and  variety; 


it  has  more  life  and  color;  it  is  in  every  way  a  more 
artistic  and  expressive  medium.  Mr.  Garrett's  . 
style,  as  exemplified  in  his  book-plates,  is  remark- 
able for  its  delicacy,  precision,  and  certainty  of 
touch.  The  quality  of  daintiness  could  go  no 
further.  Yet  it  is  not  tainted  by  mere  prettiness, 
because  there  is  firmness  of  technique,  severity  of 
motive,  and  a  nice  application  of  means  to  the  end. 
Besides  the  book-plates  in  which  armorial  bear- 
ings are  used  as  the  leading  motive  of  the  design, 
it  will  be  noticed  that  Mr.  Garrett  has  occasionally 
employed  subjects  of  a  naturalistic  order,  as  in  the 
example  where  a  pleasing  glimpse  of  the  owner's 
veranda  appears  in  the  centre  of  the  plate.  This 
piftorial  theme  is  taftfully  treated,  but  as  a  general 
rule  such  motives  are  far  less  amenable  to  success- 
ful decorative  employment  than  stridtly  conven- 
tional designs.  It  will  be  remarked,  undoubtedly, 
that  Mr.  Garrett's  borders  are  of  especial  ingenu- 
ity and  beauty,  and  that  they  play  an  important 
part.  Such  a  border  as  that  in  the  Belmont  Li- 
brary book-plate,  for  example,  taken  in  conjunc- 
tion with  a  good  arrangement  of  the  inscription, 
which  is  an  organic  portion  of  the  decorative 
scheme,  seems  to  be  in  and  of  itself  a  sufficient, 


EXLIBMS 
GEORGE  A  FERNALD 


:&== 


v..-  i.To— Ji^ 


dignified  and  satisfadtory  piece  of  decoration. 
For  a  public  institution  it  is  especially  appropriate 
because  a  little  more  than  the  ordinary  degree  of 
severity  is  desirable  in  such  cases.  And,  since  we 
have  spoken  of  the  inscription,  it  is  proper  to  add 
that  the  lettering,  a  vital  point,  is  one  of  the  strong 
features  of  superiority  in  nearly  all  Mr.  Garrett's 
plates.  The  slightest  error  of  scale,  the  slightest 
slip  in  the  placing  of  the  inscription,  and,  of  course 
the  least  lack  of  style  in  the  lettering,  in  the  rela- 
tionship it  has  to  the  rest  of  the  design,  is  enough 
to  ruin,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  has  ruined,  many  an 
otherwise  excellent  book-plate.  But  Mr. Garrett 
whose  title  pages  are  works  of  art,  and  whose  bi- 
bliophilic  taste  amounts  to  genius,  is  incapable  of 
making  any  such  mistakes;  his  instindt  for  the 
right  proportions,  the  right  spacing,  the  right 
style  of  letter,  and  the  first-rate  execution  of  this 
part  of  his  work,  is  infallible.  For  the  severe 
class  of  book-plates,  the  Roman  capital  letter, — 
surely,  nothing  better  will  ever  be  invented, — but 
the  scale  and  the  placing  of  it  is  an  art  in  itself; 
and  for  the  freer,  more  intimate,  more  personal 
class  of  designs,  the  various  modifications  of  the 
black-letter,    or  the  quaint,    flowing,    intricate 


pattern  of  script  capitals,  interlocked,  like  a  vine, 
with  a  touch  of  vagrant  fantasy,  exhaling  a  breath 
of  the  days  of  Friendship's  Offering,  when  Byron 
wrote  and  Turner  painted. 

In  those  examples  which  are,  from  the  decora- 
tive point  of  view,  the  least  interesting,  I  think  it 
will  be  found  that  there  is  much  originality  and 
ingenuity,  as  well  as  much  workmanship  of  a  high 
order  of  excellence;  and  the  regards  in  which  they 
fall  short  of  the  best  standards  are,  I  venture  to  say, 
largely  due  to  the  unreasonable  requirements  of 
the  clients  themselves,  who,  as  is  the  way  of  clients, 
consider  themselves  competent  judges  in  certain 
technical  matters  where  a  little  knowledge  is  a 
dangerous  thing.  A  near  parallel  to  this  condition 
is  to  be  found  in  portrait  painting,  a  line  of  work 
which,  except  in  the  cases  of  those  artists  who  can 
afford  to  be  autocrats,  is  little  short  of  penal  servi- 
tude, or  a  state  of  vassalage.  When  will  it  be  real- 
ized that  utter  freedom  is  the  first  condition  of  art- 
istic produd:ivity,  and  that  there  is  nothing  worth 
utterance  but  a  man's  own  thought? 

In  comparing  Mr.  Garrett's  really  representa- 
tive work  in  this  line  with  that  of  other  artists,  I 
have' been  struck  more  by  his  refinement  of  taste 


than  any  other  quality,  though  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  say  that  he  stands  almost  alone  also  in  resped: 
of  design  and  workmanship.  When  he  has  a  free 
field  for  the  exercise  of  his  taste,  inventiveness,  and 
fancy,  there  is  no  one  like  him. 


A  CHECK-LIST  OF 

MR.  GARRETT'S 

BOOK-PLATES. 


A  NUMBERED  LIST  OF  MR.  GARRETT'S 
BOOK-PLATES  FROM  1893  TO  1904. 

The  following  numbers  do  not  agree  with  the  numbers  on 
the  book-plates  themselves  for  the  latter  refer  to  all  etchings, 
book  illustrations  as  well  as  book-plates,  executed  by  Mr.  Gar- 
rett since  1892. 

Almost  all  his  book-plates  it  will  be  noticed  have  been  etched 
on  copper  by  himself;  two  were  etched  by  W.  H.  W.  Bicknell 
and  one  engraved  by  E.  D.French.  The  photogravure,  photo 
lithography,  and  the  zinc  etching  process  have  been  used  in 
some  instances,  and  two  examples  are  the  work  of  other  de- 
signers. Although  these  plates  which  are  not  wholly  the  work 
of  Mr.  Garrett  must  be  of  much  less  interest  they  are  here,  for 
the  convenience  of  collectors,  included  in  the  list  with  the  plates 
entirely  of  his  own  workmanship.  The  list  has  been  submitted 
to  Mr.  Garrett  and  is  the  only  correct  one  in  print. 

1  Francis  IVilson.  Etched  by  W.  H.  IV.  Bicknell 

2  Francis  Wilson,  Zinc  etching 
J      Paul  Lemperly.  Zinc  etching 

There  are  two  sizes  of  this  plate. 

4  Joseph  H.  Wheeler.  Zinc  Etching 

5  Charles  Dexter  Allen.  Etched  by  W.  H.  W.  Bicknell 
There  is  a  small  photogravure  of  this  plate ^  first  used  on  the  title 
page  of  ^^ American  Book-Plates.^^ 


18^4- 

6      Edmund  H.  Garrett.  Etched 

y      Edmund  H.  Garrett.  Etched 

8      Joseph  H.  Wheeler.      Same  as  No.  4..  Etched 

p      The  University  Club.  Etched 

Also  exists  with  the  date  MDCCCXCII and  a  variation  in  the 

border. 

1895 

10  Hiram  EdmundDeats.  Etched 

11  Frederick  W.  French,  Etched 

12  Florence  Sylva  Wheeler.  Etched 

i8g6 
I  J   Mary  E.  Norcross.  Etched 

14   Alfred  Gooding.  Photogravure 

75   Frank  Gair  Macomber.  Etched  from  an  old  tapestry 

A  few  prints  with  the  arms  differently  disposed. 
16   Edwin  Ruthven  Lamson.    6  Beacon  Street  Boston  1^6  Fifth 
Avenue  New  Tork  l8p6.  Engraved  by  E.  D.  French 

There  is  also  a  copy  of  this  plate  with  the  inscription^  A  Cata- 
logue of  Books  Published  by  Lamson  Wolffe  and  Company  Boston 
New  Tork  and  London  i8g6. 

'S97 

ly  Henry  A.  Sherwin.  Etched 

18  Joseph  Huntress  Wheeler.  Old  plate  altered 

ig  Wm.  M.  Conant  M.  D.  Etched 

20  C.  Williams  Jr.  Etched 


f<^ 


EX  LIBRI5 

V^ILLIAM  HALL 

WALKER 


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i;no  -  GARPci"    CP  5?  >\  CMii: 


i8g8 

21  De  Witt  Miller.  Etched 

22  John  Sewall  Alcott  Pratt,  Etched 
2^  Frank  Lysacht  Dunne,  Etched 

Some  prints  with  name  Lysart, 

24.   William  Phillips,  Etched 

25  J.  Otis  Wardwell,  Etched 

26  Eliza  Atkins  Stone,  Zinc  etching 
2y  M,  West  a  II  Pettee,  Designed  by  Miss  F.  M,  Pettee     Etched 

1^00 
28  Harvard  University,      Thompson  Collection,  Etched 

2^   Harvard  University,     Riant  Collection,  Etched 

Three  variants  of  this  plate  as  follows: 

a.  Bought  with  income  of  the  Henry  L,  Pierce  Fund, 

b.  Gift  of  "John  Harvey  Treat  of  Lawrence, 
One  proof  Lowell  instead  of  Lawrence, 

c.  Divinity  Library^  Gift  of  the  Society  for  Promoting  Theolog- 
ical education. 

One  proof  with  Theological  wrongly  spelled, 
JO  Arthur  Curtis  Judd,  Etched 

J I  John  Fiske,  Etched 

A  variety  with  variation  in  the  motto, 
J2  John  W.  Farlow  M.  D,  Etched 

J  J    Weston  Public  Library,  '  Etched 

Also  photo-lithograph  of  above. 


j^   George  M.  Thornton, 
jj   Elizabeth  Cheney, 
j6  Leslie  E,  Kiley, 
37  y^siah  Stearns  Gushing. 
j8  Bowdoin  College. 


I^oi 


43 


44 


Etched 

Etched 

Zinc  etching 

Photogravure 

Photo-lithograph 


ig02 


jp  Edwin  Scott  and  Edith  Henry  Barbour.  Photogravure 

^o  Lowell  Public  Library.  Photo  lithograph 

/J.I  Elizabeth  S.  Cheney.  Etched 

/f.2  Belmont  Public  Library.  Etched 

Also  photo-lithograph  of  above. 

Derby  Public  Library.  Etched 

Also  photo-lithograph  of  above. 

Five  small  donor  plates  for  the  same^  all  etched. 

a.  George  C.  A  His 
^5  b.  Dr.  Charles  C.  Baldwin. 
46  c.  John  W.  Peck. 


4J  d.  Sarah  Riggs  Humphrey  Chapter  D.  A.  R. 

4.8  e.  Reading  Circle  Library  East  Derby.,  Connecticutt . 

^903 
4p   C.  C.  Clapp. 
^0   Thomas  W.  Lawson. 

Etched 
Etched 

5/   Da  It  on. 

The  same  altered. 

Etched 

52  Robert  Fletcher  Allen.     Memorial  Plate. 

Etched 

liCt  me  love  t/ie  infutes  of  books  witfi 

Doctor  Johnjon  and  have  re/pectunto 

their  outfides  loitkDavtd  GarricA. 


mwirr  wllbfl 


5J  Mary  Cheney  Davis.  Etched 

5^  Mary  Leroy  King,     Des.  by  Miss  L,  H,  Sturtevant,    Etched 

S5  William  Hall  Walker, 

^6  George  A,  Fernald, 


57   Gustave  P,  Wiksell, 


1^04 


Etched 
Etched 

Etched 


m 


TO  THE 

VOLKMANN 

SCHOOL 

IN  MEMORYOF 

ROBERT  FLETCHER 

ALLEN 

*  1892  ' —  igo3 1 


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EX  LIBRIS 
HENRYASHERWIN 


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